THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1980
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THE OFFICE WILL OPERATE ROUND THE CLOCK FROM 10 PM TODAY (THURSDAY) UNTIL MIDNIGHT ON SUNDAY (OCTOBER 26).
APPLICANTS MUST REGISTER PERSONALLY, AND BRING THREE PASSPORT SIZE PHOTOGRAPHS WITH THEIR NAMES WRITTEN CLEARLY ON THE BACK.
THE SPOKESMAN EMPHASISED: +IN PRINCIPLE, ONLY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THEMSELVES WILL BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE QUEUE - EXCEPT FOR CHILDREN AND THE OLD OR SICK WHO CAN BE ACCOMPANIED BY ONE ADULT. +
HE SAID THE FACILITIES AT THE SPECIAL REGISTRATION OFFICE AT VICTORIA BARRACKS HAD BEEN INCREASED AND THE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO PROCESS MORE THAN 1 000 APPLICATIONS AN HOUR.
+THE LOCATION IS WELL KNOWN, IS CENTRALLY LOCATED AND TRAVEL TO VICTORIA BARRACKS IS NO PROBLÉM, HE SAID. THE AREA FOR QUEUING IS LARGE AND OTHER PEOPLE GOING ABOUT THE IR NORMAL DUTIES ARE NOT UNDULY AFFECTED, AS THEY WOULD BE IN OTHER CROWDED AREAS WHERE FAR MORE CONTROL WOULD BE NEEDED.+
ON REGISTRATION, AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WILL RECEIVE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF REGISTRATION WHICH WILL BE ACCEPTABLE AS TEMPORARY ALTERNATIVE PROOF OF IDENTITY, UNTIL HE IS ISSUED WITH AN ID CARD.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS ESTABLISHED A SPECIAL APPEAL SYSTEM TO HEAR THE CASES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CLAIMING THEY HAVE VALID REASONS FOR BEING PERMITTED TO STAY IN HONG KONG.
THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT, FOLLOWING THE NEW MEASURES ANNOUNCED EARLIER TODAY, AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FROM CHINA WILL FACE GRAVE DIFFICULTIES UNLESS HE HAS AN ID CARD.
+ALL THOSE WHO HAVE ENTERED ILLEGALLY FROM CHINA MUST REGISTER NOW, HE EMPHASISED. +FROM NOW ON, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OBTAIN JOBS WITHOUT PRODUCING ID CARDS NÓR FOR EXAMPLE WILL THEY BE ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC HOUSING.+
MOREOVER IF SUCH PERSONS CONTINUE TO WORK WITHOUT AN ID CARD, THEY WILL BE EMPLOYED ILLEGALLY AND WILL BE LIABLE TO BE DISMISSED FROM THE IR JOBS.
+AND, WITHOUT ID CARDS, THEY WILL BE LIABLE TO BE REPATRIATED TO CHINA.+
TO MAKE THE OPERATION OF THE SPECIAL REGISTRATION OFFICE SMOOTHER THE CHINESE VISITORS OFFICE AND THE QUEENSWAY REGISTRATION OF PERSONS OFFICE AT VICTORIA BARRACKS WILL BE TEMPORARILY CLOSED FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS BRANCH OFFICES AT CANTON ROAD AND CAUSEWAY BAY MAGISTRACY WILL ALSO BE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
VISITORS FROM CHINA WHOSE STAY IS DUE TO END, AND WHO WISH TO APPLY FOR EXTENSIONS, SHOULD DO SO ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28 OR LATER.
/THE SPOKESMAN